Midshipman's Hitch

( Rolling Hitch | Taut-line Hitch | ABOK #1855 )

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Usage

The Midshipman's Hitch is an adjustable knot commonly used to create a sliding loop that can be tightened or loosened under tension. It's frequently employed in sailing and camping for tasks like securing tent lines, tying down tarps, or adjusting rope tension. The knot holds firmly under load but can be easily adjusted by sliding it along the standing part of the rope, making it ideal for situations that require frequent adjustments. By sliding the hitch, the size of the loop is altered, effectively changing the rope's length without needing to retie the knot.

Common Uses

create an adjustable loop at the end of a tent or tarp line.
tension a line that needs to be tightened or loosened over time.
secure a rope under load that can still be repositioned by sliding.
adjust a rope's tension when exposed to the weather and the line becomes wet and slack.
make an adjustable loop to tighten or loosen a line.
tie a tarp guyline to a ground stake with adjustable tension.
tie a rope tightly between two trees for a hammock or clothesline.
hang string lights with adjustable tension.

History

The Midshipman's Hitch, Taut Line Hitch, and Magnus Hitch have a muddled naming history that has caused all kinds of confusion over the years. The three hitches are closely related in structure and purpose, which has no doubt added to the confusion. To avoid ambiguity, Knots 3D refers to each by the Ashley reference number (ABOK #).

Midshipman's Hitch -> ABOK #1855
Taut Line Hitch -> ABOK #1856
Magnus Hitch -> ABOK #1857

The term Taut Line is found as early as 1912 in Howard W. Riley's book 'Knots, Hitches, and Splices', although it is shown in the Midshipman's Hitch form. Additional confusion was introduced by the Boy Scouts of America who have published both the #1855 and #1856 knots as the 'Taut Line' in different editions of the Boy Scout Handbook. The current 13th edition of the Boy Scout Handbook illustrates #1856 for the Taut-Line, but the 5th edition of the Handbook (years 1948–1959) illustrated #1855 — what we now call the Midshipman's Hitch — but referred to it as the Taut Line Hitch. This is unfortunate since the Midshipman's is likely a better knot for most things and the Boy Scouts would have been well served to stay with the 5th Edition illustration and name. Knots 3D currently uses the names defined by Wikipedia and they seem to be the most common at the moment. No doubt the naming confusion will continue for years if not centuries.

Also known as

Rolling Hitch
Taut-line Hitch

ABOK

1855

Structure

The Midshipman's Hitch (#1855) is the loop version of the Rolling Hitch (#1735) and shares the same structure.

Strength/Reliability

The Midshipman's Hitch (#1855) is considered more secure than the Taut Line Hitch (#1856) or Magnus Hitch (#1857). The Midshipman's Hitch may not hold fast under all conditions, and with lines made from particularly stiff or slick modern fibers (e.g. polypropylene), the hitch may not hold at all. The hitch can be made more secure by using additional initial wraps and finishing half hitches.

Type

Hitches